HISTORY

Cronullas Doug Robson came on strong in the late 80′s and for several  years was Australia’s main man. He was known for his Island charging and also admired for having one of the biggest airs in the sport. Suckrock launch photo Stroh

Jay Reale was a regular traveller to Australia, going from State to State  competing and on promotional duties during  his annual pilgrimages in the 80′s and 90′s. He loved the place that much he even married an Aussie. One of his favourite waves was Aussie Pipe also known as Blackrock. Here’s a shot of Jay full pedal to the metal as he whips a clean reverse in the early 90′s photo Stroh.

There once was a time when bodyboarding was literally taking over from surfing. As the numbers of bodyboarders  swelled in the lineup kids worldwide were becoming  converts overnight as guys like Mike Stewart, Paul Roach and Kainoa McGee brought the sport some hard earned respect. It would not last long but during this time anyone who saw Kainoa McGee dominating out at Pipe on the biggest days would be a liar if they wern’t impressed. Kainoa was in a class of his own both prone and Dropknee. Sure Stewart was calculated and a tube riding perfectionist where Kainoa was just  pure animal. He’d take off on the biggest , meanest wave and make it at all costs. What a legend and there has been no one like him ever since. Below Kainoa in action mid 90s photo Stroh

 

Michael Epplestun is best remembered for introducing the gymnastic moves like the Double Roll, ARS and The Backflip but it was his Frog Airs that first made people stand up and take notice. On his first year in Hawaii Eppo busted a huge backwash air at Off The Wall that ended up in Tracks. For the time it was huge. Eppo went on to master his aerial flights with his unique frog leg landings and was pushing the limits of just how high you could go. Watching Jeff Hubbard today you can clearly see the Eppo influence. Photo below Eppo launch Hawaii mid 90′s Photo Stroh

I think this was the first or second time I ever got to shoot Paul Roach. I’d heard all the loud talk about this kid from Cali and after seeing him for myself at Maroubra this day I wasn’t disappointed. Taken early 90′s by Stroh.

 

 

This was  one of those classic Island swells. Ross Hawke managed to snavel a set wave off the hungry pack and came up trumps. Photo Stroh around ’91.

One of the benefits of being a photographer is you get to meet plenty of interesting characters. In  bodyboarding they didn’t come any more interesting than Hauoli who is literally a walking party as well as a fine bodyboarder. This shot taken at Blackrock by Stroh.

 

Whether prone or dropknee Macca was a stylish dude. Its not surprising he dominated Aussie bodyboarding for many years around 1990 about the same time this snap was taken at Maroubra his home beach. Photo Stroh

On his first trip to Oz I was fortunate enough to travel up the coast with the Hawaiian bodyboarder Lanson Ronquilio. Lanson had that easy going Island nature about him, a big smile and was a pleasure to work with. This day we pulled up at Bulls Paddock it wasn’t big about 1 metre but it was clean, green, offshore and the barrels were firing. Photo Stroh ’92.

 

When Tom Morey invented the bodyboard in 1971 Mitch Rawlins wasn’t even born. When this shot was taken in the late 90′s Rawlins was a third generation bodyboarder who adopted all the good points of his heroes from the past mixed with his own brand of  fire power. Off The Wall Hawaii pic Stroh.